Falcon Fans bought space in the AJC to complain to Blank - Here's the letter

[keeponbucn]

The add is running today. Here's the letter. Good stuff.........


The 12th Man
An Open letter to Mr. Arthur Blank, Owner of the Atlanta Falcons

Falconsroost.com, one of the largest, most dedicated Atlanta Falcons fan websites, has the motto of “By the Fans, For the Fans!�. Originating in 1996, our members are not only from all over the United States but also from countries around the world. Our members have long shared praise, cheers, anger and tears regarding the Atlanta Falcons with each other on our website. Now, they want their heartfelt thoughts conveyed. During this time of giving, they have contributed their hard-earned money and pooled their funds together to purchase this newspaper advertisement.

Our emotional and financial investments in the team are not being rewarded. Even after your considerable investments, the team is headed in the wrong direction from a competitive and leadership standpoint. You raised ticket prices the last four years. We responded wholeheartedly by selling out season tickets and purchasing individual tickets. We have also purchased merchandise, concessions and anything else to further show support. Our purchasing power made the #7 jersey one of the top all-time sellers of NFL Properties. What has been the return on our investments?

During the past two seasons our team has been out-planned, out-executed, out-coached, physically dominated and given less than 100% by their own admission. This is reminiscent of the “Same old Falcons!� you promised was a thing of the past. Adding insult to injury, our coach makes inappropriate and immature remarks to the media that are an affront to his staff, his team, the man who has shown unwavering faith in and support for him, and most importantly, the FANS. This is unacceptable.

Improvements have been announced for the Georgia Dome. Money should be spent on improving the conditions for the average fan. Treatment by the event staff has been unprofessional and negligent. Opposing fans are allowed to congregate in the aisles, use obscene language and gestures towards us; the event staff has to be ASKED to do their job and often turns a blind eye. Recently, one event staff member told a group of fans not to chant at the opposition. His reasoning? He was a fan of the opposing team. IN OUR HOUSE? No wonder the “12th Man� feels unappreciated and unsatisfied, after you have asked us repeatedly to be a factor.

In October of 2003, following a disappointing 36-0 debacle on Monday Night Football, you placed an ad in this same newspaper. Here are two excerpts:

“I want you to know that I am just as committed to taking this franchise to the heights of NFL success as I have been from the very start. Not just this season, but every season. If anything, I am more committed and determined than ever.�
“For the last year & a half, you have rallied around the New Atlanta Falcons in a way that exceeded our expectations. Our organization and team need your continued support, and we will do everything we can to maintain it. We need you, our 12th man.�

We ask that you use your considerable resources and business acumen to bring about timely and appropriate changes. We want a consistently competitive and proud team, a venue that is truly OUR HOUSE where we are respected, and a coach who appreciates the organization and the fans. In short, we want what you promised when you purchased the franchise and what we, in good faith, have unwaveringly supported.

[original]

They are consistantly good and then bad.  The Falcons have yet to have back to back winning seasons in their entire history.  On the other hand, they have had back to back losing seasons.  Now that is the consistantly I like to see from the Vicks..

[BuccinTex]

I hope this ad doesn't change a thing for their orgazination.  I thought this was funny "Opposing fans are allowed to congregate in the aisles, use obscene language and gestures towards us;"  Like Falcon fans are so courteous and pleasant.

[BUCFAN4LIFE]

Falcons fans are awful. I was so harrassed when I was there  ( I expect ribbing but was assaulted and then fired back) . Literally they shake their keys at you to signify their keys to the city when they are winning. I was there with about 20 fellow friends and Buc fans 2 years ago. We bought a group package and were in the upper levels. As we walked down after the game in which we lost we had stuff thrown at us and one little SOB in particular chose me to mess with and shook his keys in my face. I brushed him off and he jumps the aisle in front of him to do it again and continues to do it all the way to row 3 from row 17-- running his mouth the whole time. I pain stakingly blew him off the entire time even though a few of my buddies were ready to roll him. I said chill out we dont want to get arrested. Security had a close eye on us and what transpired and chose to do nothing about it. At row 3 as you can imagine there was a log jam of folks exiting. A couple falcon fans told him to knock it off but he was to drunk to notice and he was fixated on me for some odd reason as I was probably the least vocal of any of us. As we approach the landing he starts cursing me and shaking his keys again at me and not sure if it was a mistake or not but he got too close and struck me in the face with his key and cut the bridge of my nose and under my eye with a sharp key. I went freaking ballistic at this point-- you can yell at me all you want and rib me all you want but you put hands on and I will go ape-- I grabbed that skronny little bastard by his throat sat him in an aisle seat forcefully grabbed his freaking keys and pitched them over the balcony and onto the empty field of play. I told him quite mater of factly that he was going to have a long walk home or quite a hide and seek expedition and if he tried to get up I would choke the F'ing life out of him. That ended that crap real quick. Then a walkin clinic and 2 stitches on the bridge of my nose later we partied some more in ATL. But after that i have never gone back for an ATL game. Carolina by far has the better fans. And believe or not the best away one I ever went to was Green Bay back in the NFC Norris days. Those folks are pretty friendly and rather make you know what good tailgate food and home brews are rather than **CENSORED** and moan about opposing fans.

[MrFreakinMiyagi]

The add is running today. Here's the letter. Good stuff.........


The 12th Man
An Open letter to Mr. Arthur Blank, Owner of the Atlanta Falcons

Falconsroost.com, one of the largest, most dedicated Atlanta Falcons fan websites, has the motto of “By the Fans, For the Fans!�. Originating in 1996, our members are not only from all over the United States but also from countries around the world. Our members have long shared praise, cheers, anger and tears regarding the Atlanta Falcons with each other on our website. Now, they want their heartfelt thoughts conveyed. During this time of giving, they have contributed their hard-earned money and pooled their funds together to purchase this newspaper advertisement.

Our emotional and financial investments in the team are not being rewarded. Even after your considerable investments, the team is headed in the wrong direction from a competitive and leadership standpoint. You raised ticket prices the last four years. We responded wholeheartedly by selling out season tickets and purchasing individual tickets. We have also purchased merchandise, concessions and anything else to further show support. Our purchasing power made the #7 jersey one of the top all-time sellers of NFL Properties. What has been the return on our investments?

During the past two seasons our team has been out-planned, out-executed, out-coached, physically dominated and given less than 100% by their own admission. This is reminiscent of the “Same old Falcons!� you promised was a thing of the past. Adding insult to injury, our coach makes inappropriate and immature remarks to the media that are an affront to his staff, his team, the man who has shown unwavering faith in and support for him, and most importantly, the FANS. This is unacceptable.

Improvements have been announced for the Georgia Dome. Money should be spent on improving the conditions for the average fan. Treatment by the event staff has been unprofessional and negligent. Opposing fans are allowed to congregate in the aisles, use obscene language and gestures towards us; the event staff has to be ASKED to do their job and often turns a blind eye. Recently, one event staff member told a group of fans not to chant at the opposition. His reasoning? He was a fan of the opposing team. IN OUR HOUSE? No wonder the “12th Man� feels unappreciated and unsatisfied, after you have asked us repeatedly to be a factor.

In October of 2003, following a disappointing 36-0 debacle on Monday Night Football, you placed an ad in this same newspaper. Here are two excerpts:

“I want you to know that I am just as committed to taking this franchise to the heights of NFL success as I have been from the very start. Not just this season, but every season. If anything, I am more committed and determined than ever.�
“For the last year & a half, you have rallied around the New Atlanta Falcons in a way that exceeded our expectations. Our organization and team need your continued support, and we will do everything we can to maintain it. We need you, our 12th man.�

We ask that you use your considerable resources and business acumen to bring about timely and appropriate changes. We want a consistently competitive and proud team, a venue that is truly OUR HOUSE where we are respected, and a coach who appreciates the organization and the fans. In short, we want what you promised when you purchased the franchise and what we, in good faith, have unwaveringly supported.

What is this going to accomplish??

These clowns wasted their money.

[jerseybucsfan]

1. Home Depot stock will go down.
2. Mora will get a new job next year - in the paint department.
3. The Falcons will draft another WR high next season ... that will fail miserably.
4. Alge Crumpler will open up his own chain, one befitting his name, a combo pet shop-donut shop.
5. Michael Vick will STILL be learning the West Coast offense.
6. The Braves will still fail to sell out big games.
7. Patrick Kerney will still be the coolest guy on the un-coolest team.
8. DeAngelo Hall will still be the most overrated CB in the NFL.
9. Morten Anderson will decide to kick until he's 83 years old and score his 5,000th point. And....
10. All three NFC South teams will go to a Super Bowl next, before the Falgoons.

[JavaBuc]

BUCFAN4LIFE, sorry to hear that crap happened.   There are idiots in every stadium.   I've never had a problem in Atlanta, but I've always gone up there when the Falcons sucked.   It's when you get the bandwagon fans in there during the winning years that you really get the a-holes.   I agree about the packer fans.  That's a laid back bunch.   I don't like the Panther fans much though.   I've had bad experiences with them.   

The Falcon fans should shut their mouths about the team losing.   They are the ones who were touting Vick as the greatest player in history just a couple of years ago.   

[richbucsfan]

Looks like everyone is unhappy with their coach.  'Tis the season ....

[Uncle Stan]

FWIW,

Didn't believe Blank still has any connection with Home Depot.

[BucsGuru]

I like Blank, and then I don't.  He is personal with fans like Mark Cuban, but too involved like Jerry Jones. 
FWIW, I too would be highly agitated myself with the talent he has in ATL.

[BuccinTex]

Maybe Bucs fans should unite and run an ad begging him to keep Mora.  As long as he is coach they won't go far.

[ufojoe]

I had nothing but good experiences on my 3 trips to Atlanta.

The Packer fans were complete idiots in my experience.

Everybody has a different experience. Can't paint fans with a broad brush.

My one experience in Philly wasn't that bad. There were some god awful fans that we''ve
all heard about. And then there were the majority who were just like every other NFL fan.

[Uncle Stan]

Seen some of that at the RayJay also.

Our hands aren't clean by any stretch of the imagination.

[4bucs]

they'll be fine in another 10 years they may even be cap friendly again......who will McKay over pay this year.....what a great GM...I love it.